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The Surprising Dunsmuir Estate

I am so excited to tell you that I’ve been asked to serve on an advisory board for the Dunsmuir Estate! I’m told that this is the first advisory board since the City of Oakland took over care of the property, so I feel truly honored.

I was just over there last Friday because I made an effort to remember to visit during their insanely restricted hours (it is an effort, even bank employees would drool over these hours!). I work from home not very far from this place and even still, I can’t seem to get over there while they’re actually open…. never-mind the times they should be open (imho) but aren’t, like weekdays squeezed between major holidays and weekends (I tried to go last Black Friday for example). BUT, that’s not the point I’m here to make.

This place is a gem in the rough. Anyone who has read my blog before knows how much I enjoy visiting historic estates and gardens, but this one eluded me until a few months ago. SO, without further delay – a few photos from last Friday to celebrate my budding relationship with the folks who are working so hard to keep the place up and promote it. I’m plain ole thrilled about it.

So above you see the Main House and the entry, ducks, fountain, and gazebo (drought? what drought?)….

… and two benches with gobs of personality…

… a couple of shots that I think exemplify the magic of the character of the place….

… but I’ll leave you with a shot of my favorite thing, the pool and pool house. I could do a whole post just on this one item, and I probably will, but it is such a magical, beautifully proportioned thing, I wish I had drawings of it to study, find out what it is about the space that is so magical, apply those ratios to my own work (even though I don’t design by mathematical formula, I just want to “get” it and be able to replicate it). I dearly hope that this can someday be restored, but in the meantime, I’ll stare at it and imagine what it must have been like.

Partrick – it absolutely IS the same pool, I’ve heard great stories about the filming of that and many other movies there including So I Married and Axe Murderer (mansion is the hotel at the end) and the James Bond film A View to a Kill. Check wikipedia for a listing: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunsmuir_House